Madison - Anson ATV Club, INC

P.O. Box 143, Madison, ME 04950

www.maatvclub.com

7/10/2017

To whom it may concern:

There is currently an attempt on the part of several entities, including Madison - Anson ATV Club to aid
the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry in acquiring the now unused Pan Am
Rail railroad spur that runs from Oakland to the Southern terminus of the Kennebec Valley Trail at Alder
Brook in Embden, for the purpose of creating a multi-use trail for both motorized and non-motorized
users. This additional portion added to the existing Kennebec Valley Trail will provide a multi-use rail
trail from Oakland all the way to Bingham.

If successful, this trail will be used by bicyclists, joggers, walkers, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers,
equestrians ,ATVers and other trail users.

We feel that this will not only create recreational opportunities in the area, but will also create economic
opportunities in the area. We are reaching out to businesses, community leaders, schools and others in
hopes of getting lots of letters supporting the creation of this trail. Towns that the trail will be near or
pass through include Oakland, Fairfield, Norridgewock, Madison, Anson, North Anson, and Embden in
addition to the existing trail in Solon and Embden. Several towns will have this trail pass directly through
downtown business districts. Hopefully businesses in those areas will take advantage of opportunities to
market to trail users.

One of the most significant benefit of this trail system is that it will provide safe crossings at three major
river crossings (the Kennebec at Madison / Anson, and also Norridgewock, and the Carrabasset at North
Anson). This alone will improve safety of trail users as well as economic stimulus that will come from the
increased use of the new links and much safer infrastructure.

No General Fund money will be used for the acquisition and creation of this trail. The hope is that we
will be able to procure LMF (Land for Maine's Future) funds, Land and Water funds, Federal RTP grant(s)
(Recreational Trail Program), manufacturer's grants, as well as donations from individuals and user
groups. These funds will be used in addition to funds from the Off-Road Vehicle Division (ATV and
Snowmobile Programs) which are derived largely from ATV and snowmobile registration fees.
In order to better compete for LMF and RTP monies, letters of support are critical! Would you PLEASE
consider doing this small favor to help us better the area? Letters may be headed to; "To whom it may
concern", and sent to the address at the top of this letter. Alternatively, the letters can be sent directly
to the Off-Road Vehicle Division at:

Department of Agriculture, Conservation & Forestry

Bureau of Parks & Lands
Off-Road Vehicle Office
ATV Program
22 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333-0022

The deadline for the application process for LMF funding is September 1st, so we really need those
letters of support by August 1st, but earlier is better!

It is best that letters of support are NOT geared toward a specific user group, but rather addressing the
potential trail as a "Multiple-use (motorized and non-motorized) trail". Likelihood of success for
funding projects of this nature decline dramatically, when referred to as a single user trail, such as
"snowmobile trail" or "ATV trail".

In its most basic form, the letter of support should show your name and address, and your title ("Joe's
Pizza Owner", "Superintendant of Schools, SAD # xx", "Selectman" etc. ). Also at least a couple of
sentences stating you support the project and why you support the project. Examples could be for
better recreational opportunities, economic stimulus or about anything else.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions about this inquiry. I can be reached most of the
time on my cell at (207) 431-4141. As I am in the customer service industry with my business, I often
have my phone set to 'silent' when working in a customer's home or business. If you don't get an
answer, leave a message and I will return the call as soon as possible. I can also be reached via club
email at maatvclub@gmail.com.

Respectfully submitted,

Jeff Ireland, President

Madison - Anson ATV Club, INC